Fortunately, I haven’t had to attend too many council meetings in my life, however, in my new role, I am representing developers and clients more and more frequently in the capacity of a Civil and Urban Engineering Designer. My biggest complaint on how council meetings are run would be how difficult it is for the general public to follow on with the proceedings and to understand what the motions being passed or otherwise might actually be about. Apparently I’m not the only one…
The vague and lackadaisical way that public meetings are often conducted can frustrate anyone who watches local government at work. When commissions or councils vote, citizens can be left in the dark as to what the vote was about and why board members voted the way they did.
This article gives some tips to councils such as lose the jargon, explain to the public what’s going on, and why members are voting on an issue the way they are. Really, it’s all nicely summed up in the final two paragraphs…
Also, elected officials should keep in mind that the process by which a decision is reached can be as important as the decision itself. All the rules of order in the world won’t matter if elected officials do not value openness and accountability in conducting the public’s business.
Local governmental bodies should strive for good work habits and an open decision-making process. That is the least that the public should be expect from its leaders.
Send a copy of the article to your local council members if they are in need of a primer.
- Leadership - The Role of Local Government
- Decision Making
- Kosher Pedestrian Crossings
- BCWWA - Demystifying Cross Connection Control
- Castlegar Turns on the Water Metering
{ 0 comments… add one now }